Chest 1935 - 1942

Nicholas Gorid made this drawing of a chest, we don't know when, with watercolor on paper. It looks like he was interested in the process of furniture making, or perhaps he was a carpenter himself. I'm really drawn to how the artist has captured the different textures and wood grain in the piece. The combination of warm browns and blacks, with each carefully delineated shape makes the chest look both sturdy and inviting. Take a look at the details in the carved panels on the upper section; the fluid lines make these botanical shapes come alive on the page. It reminds me of some of the work by Hilma af Klint, in the way it brings together geometric forms with naturalistic shapes. There's a similar desire to make visible the underlying structure of things, revealing the hidden orders that shape our world. Of course, with both artists, the results are open to interpretation, which is perhaps the most exciting thing of all!